It was a sorrowful Tuesday morning, the kind that hadn't been for decades. The town of Sanglose awoke to a terrifying sight after a night of relentless rain. A massive flood had inundated the area. As the residents ventured out, the true extent of the devastation became clear. Some homes were submerged, and debris floated down the streets. The mere sight of it was a grim reminder of the forces of nature.
Sasha lazily got out of bed early that morning and moved outdoors. Then she sprinted back in, shouting. "Pappy, Mammy ...… Pappy, Mammy ....."
Her cries rented the air within the small structure, vibrating the space.
Then, Xavier and Henrietta came rushing out. She said nothing else but turned around to race outside ahead of them. The duo followed her without uttering a word, too. They understood that she must be traumatized by something.
"Oh, no... This is a disaster. Look at what's happened, Henrietta." Xavier spoke as his eyes hit the not-too-distant water line.
Henrietta placed both hands on her head. "Our neighbors... our friends, Xavier. Their homes..."
Sasha stood speechless and trembling. They could see their flood high over the horizon. The day hadn't completely broken yet, but they could hear sounds as distant canoes paddled people and items to safety. Then, they began to hear shouts from a distance. In no time, diverse sounds of despair emanated from almost every direction.
Suddenly, Sasha screamed. "Wait! Our farmlands, how about our crops?"
Instantly, they gaped at themselves briefly before sprinting in the direction of the fields. They didn't need to reach there to know the outcome. Even from afar, they could see the water level staring at them with impunity.
"El Diablo...!" Xavier blurted as he dropped to his knees with his hands on his head.
Even though the disaster was heart-rending, the mention of that name unleashed the gates of hell over their souls. Both mother and daughter dropped to the ground and began wailing. Henrietta's voice was loud, extensively traveling as it echoed on the water's surface to continue its journey. Sasha cried bitterly but much quieter.
Soon, Sasha was on her feet. She tried to console her parents. "Pappy, Mammy, please get up."
"El Diablo!" Xavier kept muttering.
He was in tears now. It was the first time Sasha had ever seen her dad cry. He didn't even cry when Diego, her only brother, died. She understood what was coming if they couldn't repay the Juantos Cartel boss. To her right was her mom, who was literally rolling on the floor. It took every ounce of energy in her to lift the middle-aged woman to her feet. Xavier stood up and pretended he was strong for the sake of his family.
"What do we do now? Our farmland is all submerged. How will we recover?" Henrietta lamented with outstretched arms.
"I have no idea," her husband responded, staring at the ground.
"At least we didn't lose our home, too, like many other families." Sasha made attempts to encourage her parents.
"El Diablo! He warned me! He warned me!" Xavier stared intently into the sky. "What do I do now?"
"Dad, come on, let's leave this place. We will figure out how to settle El Diablo later." Sasha grabbed him by the hand and proceeded towards her mother.
When they made it back to the residential parts, they could see distress all over the place. Everyone was in a frenzy, moving about, trying to lift one thing or the other, attempting to help the most affected persons or families. About seven corpses of four adults and three children were arranged in a corner. They had drowned. Sasha and her parents joined the trend and partially forgot their predicament.
The next day, Sasha and her parents gathered in their still-intact living room. The weight of their debt to El Diablo was pressing heavily upon them.
"Henrietta, Sasha, there's no way we can repay El Diablo now. The flood has taken everything we had." Xavier pointed out despairingly.
With tears streaming down her face, Henrietta began, "I can't believe this, Xavier. We were so close to paying off the debt, and now it's all gone."
"What do we do, Mom, Dad? How can we ever make this right?" Sasha responded.
The room was filled with silent agony as the Valdez family faced the grim reality. It was certain that El Diablo would come for them. The mob boss had a reputation for never forgiving debts. He always found a way to recover his money, irrespective of the situation.
Heavy footsteps could be heard approaching their building. It was Sasha who rushed to the window to peep.
"Pappy, Mammy.....!" The expression on her face scared the hell out of her parents.
Even though she only called them, they knew it wasn't good at all.
"Xavier, who's is in here?" A series of thunderous knocks landed on the wooden front door.
Sasha's father was startled at the mention of his name with such an authoritative voice. He fidgeted even more at the barrage of hits on the door. He knew it was foot soldiers of the Juantos Cartel. His heart skipped a couple of beats, but he braved it away for the sake of his wife and daughter, at least.
"Yes, I am on my way." He replied as he made for the door.
Then he ran back inside and addressed his family. "Please, you two should maintain a pin-drop silence. Don't come out, no matter what happens out there."
They both stared at him in silence as if to question the rationale of his demands.
"Just promise me," he started, moving towards the door again after they nodded affirmatively.
Xavier emerged to find five Cartel men at his miniature porch. He flinched on seeing them, their attire and weapons.
"Don't worry, amigo, today isn't that day." One of them jested as the other laughed heartily.
It was indeed a relief for him to hear that, accompanied by such cheerfulness. "Yes, I still have some weeks to go."
"Xavier Valdez, El Diablo sends his regards. The River Suarine overflowed its banks. Were you affected?" The one who seemed like their leader spoke up.
"Yes, we lost everything in the flood. We can't make the payment right now." He replied nervously.
"That's unfortunate, Valdez. But you owe El Diablo, and he doesn't take kindly to excuses."
"Please, I'll find a way to repay. We've been through so much already." Xavier's lips parted as the words came mixed with desperation. "All my harvest is gone, but I will try to come up with something."
The leader moved a step closer, menacing. "El Diablo doesn't care about your problems. You made a deal, and he expects you to honor it. If you don't find a way, there will be consequences. Meanwhile, El Diablo was cognizant of Sasha, your beautiful daughter, who waited for you quite far from our base. You didn't think he knew, right? It's the full payment, or she becomes his. Which will it be?"
"I'll do my best. Please, just give me a little more time." Xavier shut his eyes in utter anguish on hearing that information about his only remaining child and daughter.
He reopened his eyes to see them afar off.
The Cartel soldier's threat lingered in the air much after they had gone. It was a stark reminder of the unforgiving nature of his debt to El Diablo.
"Thank Godness, my family didn't hear that last piece of information," he thought aloud after they rallied around him to discuss the matter.
"I will do anything in my power to prevent that from happening. Maybe it's time I consider relocating to the CS. El Diablo has begun to have eyes for my daughter, and that's a pretty bad omen." Xavier continued in his deep thoughts.
"Dad!" Sasha called out severally before he startled back into reality. "I know this is hard on you. I think we should contact Uncle Johnny for assistance."
"Yes, of course," Henrietta concurred in a slow, pitiful tone. "We had concrete plans to refund the cartel, but I guess bad things still happen to good people. Right now, Johnny is our last resort."
With trembling hands, he dialed Johnny's number, praying for a lifeline. There was no response. For hours, Xavier repeatedly called Johnny as his heart pounded with fear and uncertainty.
Finally, Johnny's voice crackled over the line. "Hello Xavier, it's been ..."
Xavier interrupted him and cut to the chase, avoiding the pleasantries. "We're in deep trouble, brother. We lost everything in a flood, and we owe El Diablo. We need your help."
"Xavier, I'm so sorry I couldn't answer earlier. I was in a meeting. What's wrong?"
"It's the flood, Johnny. We've lost it all. El Diablo's men are breathing down our necks. We need money, and we need it urgently."
"I'll help. I've saved up some personal money." The CS-based account spoke with a determined tone after some seconds of silence. "Sasha can come to the CS by next month to pick it up. I know she's all grown up, and I want to see her."
"Thank you, Johnny. We can't express how much this means to us. Sasha will head to the Confederate States to meet you then."
With a newfound sense of hope, Xavier hung up the phone. The weight on his shoulders was even beginning to lift. It now appears the Valdez family had a lifeline, and they were willing to do whatever it took to secure their future and escape the clutches of El Diablo.